About Crypto-currencies and Your Gravatar Profile

What is crypto-currency?
Crypto-currency is a new form of digital currency, the most popular being Bitcoin. A currency is held in what is referred to as a digital wallet and identified by the wallet address.

They can be used to purchase some goods and services (including at WordPress.com), but also to "tip" others online - sending a few digital coins is a fun way to thank someone for a job well done, or simply to show that you appreciated a good joke or astute comment.

How are crypto-currencies exchanged and managed?
Crypto-currencies are held in a "digital wallet," apps or online accounts that store your currency and allow you to send and receive it. Each wallet contains a set of unique addresses, a random string of characters like D8gGzLc8thi5isaxHBtRLyxaQiij6KsyF1. You can obtain your crypto-currency address from the wallet software or service you use (e.g., Coinbase or DogeVault).

These addresses are needed to send and receive crypto-currency. If you want to send currency to or "tip" another person, you'll need their address. Anyone who'd like to send you currency will need your address.

Why share your crypto-currency address on Gravatar?
Since they are long strings of random characters, crypto-currency addresses are not as friendly to share as an e-mail address or username. On Gravatar, you can associate your address with your account, making it simple for people to see what currencies you use and find the associated addresses.